Study on the therapeutic mechanism of HJ granules in a rat model of urinary tract infection caused by Escherichia coli.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are globally prevalent infectious diseases, predominantly caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). The misuse of antibiotics has led to the emergence of several drug-resistant strains. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has its own advantages in the treatment of UTIs. HJ granules is a herbal formula used for the treatment of UTIs. However, its mechanism of action is not clear. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic efficacy and mechanism of action of HJ granules in a rat model of UTI caused by Escherichia coli (E coli) CFT073. MATERIALS AND METHODS: SD rats were selected to establish a rat UTI model by injecting UPEC strain CFT073 into the bladder using the transurethral placement method. HJ granules were administered to rats after modelling and the efficacy of HJ granule was investigated by measuring urinary decanalogue, inflammatory factors in bladder tissue and pathological changes in the bladder after 3d of administration. Expression of sonic hedgehog (SHH), NOD-like receptor thermoprotein domain 3 (NLRP3), apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC) and activation of cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-1 (caspase-1) were detected by western blotting and immunofluorescence staining in rat bladder tissue. NLRP3, ASC and caspase-1, a cysteine-containing aspartic protein, were expressed and activated. RESULTS: The results showed that infection of rats with UPEC resulted in increased pH and erythrocytes in bladder irrigation fluid; increased expression of IL-1ß, IL-6 and SHH and decreased expression of IL-10 in bladder tissue; and significant upregulation of the expression of both SHH and NLRP3 inflammasom and significant activation of NLRP3 inflammasom. HJ granules significantly increased the concentration of IL-10 in the bladder, inhibited the expression of SHH and NLRP3 inflammasom in bladder tissue, and suppressed the activation of NLRP3 inflammasom, thereby reducing inflammatory lesions in bladder tissue. CONCLUSION: HJ granules may improve bladder injury and treat UTIs by inhibiting the expression and activation of NLRP3 inflammasom.

Repellent effect of two anthranilates against the tropical bed bug Cimex hemipterus (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) demonstrated in laboratory assays.

BACKGROUND: The bites and blood sucking of bed bugs (Cimex spp.) (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) pose a serious threat to human physical and mental health. Application of an effective repellent can prevent or reduce bed bug bites. Previous studies on repellent screening mainly focused on Cimex lectularius L. In this study, we investigated the repellent effect of two safe food additives, ethyl anthranilate (EA) and butyl anthranilate (BA), against Cimex hemipterus (F.), and also explored the role of antennae and mouthparts on C. hemipterus perception of repellents. RESULTS: Both EA and BA had a strong repellent effect against tropical bed bugs and their repellency was similar or lower than that of N,N-diethyl-3-methyl benzoyl amide, depending on whether or not a CO2 source was present. EA had higher repellency than BA and exhibited repellency to C. hemipterus for 3 days when a CO2 source was present. C. hemipterus avoided resting on 20% EA- and BA-treated harborages. Applying 20% EA and BA on rabbit skin significantly reduced the blood intake of C. hemipterus within 2 h. C. hemipterus could perceive EA and BA after their antennae or mouthparts or both antennae and mouthparts were removed. CONCLUSION: Both EA and BA had strong repellency against C. hemipterus, with EA being more repellent. Ablation of antennae and mouthparts did not affect the perception of EA and BA by C. hemipterus. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

A Case Study on Tropical Bed Bug, Cimex hemipterus (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) Infestation and Management in Dormitories.

Numerous bed bug research papers have been published in the past 20 yr as a result of bed bug (Cimex spp.) (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) resurgence in the world. Yet, few of them focused on the management of the tropical bed bug, C. hemipterus (F.). Here, we describe a case of tropical bed bug infestation in two dormitory buildings and effectiveness of a tropical bed bug treatment program. The study site consisted of 125 dormitories in two buildings. An initial building-wide monitoring with ClimbUp interceptors revealed 25 infestations. The spatial distribution of bed bug infested rooms showed a significant aggregated distribution pattern with same infestation status for neighboring units sharing walls. All infested rooms were monitored every 2 wk and treated using a combination of steam and diatomaceous earth (DE) dust application if bed bugs were still found. For the 25 initially identified infested rooms, after 14 wk treatment, 44% of them no longer had bed bugs, and the mean number of bed bugs captured per room decreased by 94.1%. A combination of steam and DE dust treatment is an effective strategy for suppressing tropical bed bug infestations in dormitory environment.

Effect of Fufang Huangqi Decoction on the Gut Microbiota in Patients With Class I or II Myasthenia Gravis.

Objective: To investigate the effect of Fufang Huangqi Decoction on the gut microbiota in patients with class I or II myasthenia gravis (MG) and to explore the correlation between gut microbiota and MG (registration number, ChiCTR2100048367; registration website, http://www.chictr.org.cn/listbycreater.aspx; NCBI: SRP338707). Methods: In this study, microbial community composition and diversity analyses were carried out on fecal specimens from MG patients who did not take Fufang Huangqi Decoction (control group, n = 8) and those who took Fufang Huangqi Decoction and achieved remarkable alleviation of symptoms (medication group, n = 8). The abundance, diversity within and between habitats, taxonomic differences and corresponding discrimination markers of gut microbiota in the control group and medicated group were assessed. Results: Compared with the control group, the medicated group showed a significantly decreased abundance of Bacteroidetes (P < 0.05) and significantly increased abundance of Actinobacteria at the phylum level, a significantly decreased abundance of Bacteroidaceae (P < 0.05) and significantly increased abundance of Bifidobacteriaceae at the family level and a significantly decreased abundance of Blautia and Bacteroides (P < 0.05) and significantly increased abundance of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus and Roseburia at the genus level. Compared to the control group, the medicated group had decreased abundance, diversity, and genetic diversity of the communities and increased coverage, but the differences were not significant (P > 0.05); the markers that differed significantly between communities at the genus level and influenced the differences between groups were Blautia, Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. Conclusions: MG patients have obvious gut microbiota-associated metabolic disorders. Fufang Huangqi Decoction regulates the gut microbiota in patients with class I or II MG by reducing the abundance of Blautia and Bacteroides and increasing the abundance of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. The correlation between gut microbiota and MG may be related to cell-mediated immunity.

Kai-Xin-San Inhibits Tau Pathology and Neuronal Apoptosis in Aged SAMP8 Mice.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related neurological disorder. Currently, there is no effective cure for AD due to its complexity in pathogenesis. In light of the complex pathogenesis of AD, the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula Kai-Xin-San (KXS), which was used for amnesia treatment, has been proved to improve cognitive function in AD animal models. However, the active ingredients and the mechanism of KXS have not yet been clearly elucidated. In this study, network pharmacology analysis predicts that KXS yields 168 candidate compounds acting on 863 potential targets, 30 of which are associated with AD. Enrichment analysis revealed that the therapeutic mechanisms of KXS for AD are associated with the inhibition of Tau protein hyperphosphorylation, inflammation, and apoptosis. Therefore, we chose 7-month-old senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) mice as AD mouse model, which harbors the behavioral and pathological hallmarks of AD. Subsequently, the potential underlying action mechanisms of KXS on AD predicted by the network pharmacology analyses were experimentally validated in SAMP8 mice after intragastric administration of KXS for 3 months. We observed that KXS upregulated AKT phosphorylation, suppressed GSK3ß and CDK5 activation, and inhibited the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway to attenuate Tau hyperphosphorylation and neuroinflammation, thus suppressing neuronal apoptosis and improving the cognitive impairment of aged SAMP8 mice. Taken together, our findings reveal a multi-component and multi-target therapeutic mechanism of KXS for attenuating the progression of AD, contributing to the future development of TCM modernization, including KXS, and broader clinical application.

The Impact of Positive Mood and Future Outlook on English as a Foreign Language Students' Academic Self-Concept.

Due to the fact that English as a foreign language (EFL) students' academic self-concept is of high importance for their academic motivation, academic achievement, and L2 success, many investigations have been done to uncover the personal and interpersonal factors that may contribute to students' academic self-concept. Yet, the emotional and psychological factors have rarely been studied. In addition, no empirical and review study has been carried out to probe into the impact of positive mood and future outlook on EFL students' academic self-concept. Accordingly, the current review study seeks to illustrate the effects of positive mood and future outlook on EFL students' academic self-concept. Building upon the principles of positive psychology (PP), the favorable effects of positive mood and future outlook on EFL students' academic self-concept were thoroughly explained. The educational implications and suggestions for future research are also highlighted.

New phenolic glycosides from Anemone chinensis Bunge and their antioxidant activity.

ABATRACTNine compounds, five phenolic glycosides (1, 2, 4-6), three phenylpropanoids (7-9), and a furanone glycoside (3), were isolated from aqueous soluble extract of the dried roots of Anemone chinensis Bunge. The structures of new compounds (1-4) were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic data analysis as well as chemical evidence. Pulsatillanin A (1) demonstrated significant antioxidant effects through scavenging free radical in DPPH assay, and relieved the oxidative stress in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells by reducing ROS production, enhancing antioxidant enzyme SOD activity, replenishing depleted GSH in a dose-dependent manner. Western blot analysis revealed that 1 showed antioxidant activity via activating Nrf2 signaling pathway.[Formula: see text].

Behavioral Response of the Tropical Bed Bug, Cimex hemipterus (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) to Carbon Dioxide.

Bed bugs (Cimex spp.) (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) are obligatory blood-sucking insects. Research on their behavioral response to host-derived olfactory cues will be helpful for designing more effective management tools. However, previous studies mainly focused on Cimex lectularius L., while the related studies on Cimex hemipterus (F.) have been rarely reported. In this study, we evaluated the behavioral responses of C. hemipterus to one of the crucial host-derived cues - carbon dioxide (CO2), at various concentrations. Pitfall traps baited with CO2 captured significantly more C. hemipterus (72%) than unbaited ones (28%). In the Y-tube test, bed bugs' exploratory activity (response rate) gradually decreased (from 70 to 27%) as the CO2 concentration increased (from 0.9 to 14.5%); and bed bugs exhibited a significant attraction to CO2 when the tested CO2 concentrations were between 0.9 and 7.3%. Cimex hemipterus were no longer attracted to CO2 after their antennae or mouthparts or both antennae and mouthparts were removed. In conclusion, C. hemipterus are attracted to CO2, and both antennae and mouthparts are important for CO2 perception.

Effect of Different Pretreatment of Birch Sawdust on the Production of Active Polysaccharides by Inonotus obliquus Under Submerged Fermentation and Its Structural Mechanism.

This study examined the effects of different pretreatments of birch sawdust on the production and activity of polysaccharides by Inonotus obliquus, and in order to explore the mechanism, structural characterization and analysis were carried out. The result clearly indicated that alkali treatment, ozone treatment, and alkali combined with ozone treatment of birch sawdust could be all helpful for the production of active polysaccharide by I. obliquus. Among four pretreatment groups, birch sawdust treated with alkali showed the highest increase in the exo-polysaccharide content (39.90%) and the inhibition rate of α-glucosidase (80.78%) within 11 days by the mycelium of I. obliquus through deep fermentation, in comparison to water-washed birch sawdust. Through a single-factor analysis and orthogonal experimental design, the optimum alkali treatment condition was as follows: NaOH concentration 1%, temperature 60 °C, and time 3 h. Moreover, the structural characteristics of pretreated birch sawdust with the optimum alkali treatment condition before and after fermentation by the mycelium of I. obliquus was performed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electronic microscopy. The results showed that alkali treatment destroyed the lignin structure of birch sawdust, exposed the cellulose in the amorphous area, reduced the crystallinity of lignocellulose, and damaged the surface structure of birch sawdust, which had a further damage and a greater degradation degree of birch sawdust after fermentation, indicating that alkali pretreatment was beneficial for utilization of birch sawdust by I. obliquus.

Morphological and Molecular Identification of Tropical Bed Bugs From Two Cities of the Pearl River Delta in China.

From the 1960s to the 1980s, with the implementation of nationwide 'Four-Pest Elimination' campaigns (bed bugs, Cimex lectularius L. and Cimex hemipterus (F.) (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), were listed as one of the targeted pests), bed bug infestations were gradually eliminated in most provinces in China. However, during the last two decades, reports of bed bug infestations in the Pearl River Delta of China have shown an upward trend. Up to now, the bed bug species occurring in this area was much less frequently reported. In this study, we used both morphological and molecular methods to accurately identify the species of bed bugs collected from the cities of Guangzhou and Foshan, China. Results indicated that no significant difference was observed in the mean pronotum width-to-length ratio of Guangzhou (2.6) and Foshan (2.4) specimens; however, both were significantly lower than that of a laboratory strain C. lectularius (3.1). The genetic distances of our specimens with C. hemipterus and C. lectularius were 0-0.2% and 22.2-22.6%, respectively. On the basis of the morphological characteristics and mitochondrial DNA sequence data, it can be affirmed that bed bugs collected from Guangzhou and Foshan were C. hemipterus.

Is there an association between peptic ulcer disease and osteoporosis: a systematic review and cumulative analysis.

BACKGROUND: Mounting studies have emerged indicating that patients with peptic ulcer disease (PUD) are at a high risk of developing osteoporosis, but the evidence has not been previously synthesized. The present study aims to examine whether patients with PUD have a significantly higher prevalence of osteoporosis than the healthy normal subjects. METHODS: Four electronic databases were systematically searched for eligible studies up to February 2020. The association between PUD and osteoporosis was evaluated by calculating the relative risk (RR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: Six observational studies were finally included, enrolling a total of 216 122 individuals. Synthetic results from the six included studies providing the number of cases for both sexes demonstrated that PUD was significantly associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis (95% CI, 1.37-1.89; P < 0.001). In line with this finding, the combined effect from the three studies independently reporting the male subjects also yielded to a positive relationship between PUD and osteoporosis (RR = 2.08; 95% CI,1.10-3.93; P = 0.023). However, when restricted to female participants, pooled results indicated that women patients with PUD would not suffer significantly more risk of osteoporosis than the general women population (RR = 1.36; 95% CI, 0.84-2.21, P = 0.212). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study for quantifying the positive association between PUD and the risk of osteoporosis by conducting a meta-analysis. In clinical practice, assessment of the bone mineral density and antiosteoporosis treatments are recommended for those potential patients with PUD.

Simultaneous Use of Stimulatory Agents to Enhance the Production and Hypoglycaemic Activity of Polysaccharides from Inonotus obliquus by Submerged Fermentation.

This study aimed to determine the effect of applying stimulatory agents to liquid cultured Inonotus obliquus on the simultaneous accumulation of exo-polysaccharides (EPS) and their monosaccharide composition. Different stimulatory agents (VB6, VB1, betulin and birch extract) were investigated for their effects on active exo-polysaccharides by submerged fermentation of I. obliquus. The mycelial biomass, reducing sugar content, EPS yield and α-glucosidase inhibition rate were determined, and the EPS obtained was analyzed for monosaccharide composition. The results showed that the addition of all the four stimulatory agents could significantly increase the inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase of EPS than the control, whereas EPS from 4 µg/mL VB1-containing medium had the best effect with an estimated IC50 value 24.34 µg/mL. Among the four stimulatory agents, VB6 gave maximum production of mycelial biomass and EPS at the concentration of 4 µg/mL with a increase of 50.79% and 114.46%, respectively. In addition, betulin had a significant effect on increasing the EPS yield and activity, and birch extract had a significantly stimulatory effect on the mycelial growth and the polysaccharides activity, only slightly worse than VB6 and VB1. Moreover, the addition of different stimulatory agents changed the monosaccharide composition of polysaccharides, which had a correlation with polysaccharide activity.

New Acylated Phenolic Glycosides with ROS-Scavenging Activity from Psidium guajava Leaves.

Reactive oxygen species and subsequent oxidative stress are reported to play important roles in chronic metabolic diseases. Plant-derived polyphenols, especially food-derived phenolics, have attracted a lot of attention due to their potential usage against oxidative stress-related diseases. The leaf of Psidium guajava (known as guava) is regarded as a good resource of polyphenols and its products are commercially available in Japan as functional foods against multiple chronic metabolism disorders. In the course of finding novel polyphenols with antioxidative activities from guava leaf, 11 acylated phenolic glycosides (1-11), including 5 new oleuropeic acid-conjugated phenolic glycosides, named guajanosides A-E (1, 2, and 5-7), along with 17 known meroterpenoides (12-28), were isolated and identified. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic data analysis, chemical degradation, and acid hydrolysis. Compounds 1, 2, and 5-11 displayed potent reactive oxygen species-scavenging activity in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. Western blot revealed that compound 6 markedly increased the expression levels of nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1 (NQO1), and the glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit. The current study revealed the presence of oleuropeic acid-derived phenolic glycosides in guava leaf and highlighted the potential usage of this type of phenolics against oxidative stress-related metabolic diseases via activation of the Nrf2 signaling pathway.

Polyphasic Characterization of Yeasts and Lactic Acid Bacteria Metabolic Contribution in Semi-Solid Fermentation of Chinese Baijiu (Traditional Fermented Alcoholic Drink): Towards the Design of a Tailored Starter Culture.

Chinese Baijiu is principally produced through a spontaneous fermentation process, which involves complex microorganism communities. Among them, yeasts and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are important communities. The study examined the isolated strains from fermented grains of Baijiu regarding their activity of α-amylase and glucoamylase, ethanol tolerance, glucose utilization, as well as metabolite production in the process of laboratory-scale sorghum-based fermentation. Selected strains (Saccharomycopsis fibuligera 12, Saccharomyces cerevisiae 3, and Pediococcus acidilactici 4) were blended in different combinations. The influence of selected strains on the metabolic variation in different semi-solid fermentations was investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) accompanied by multivariate statistical analysis. According to the principal component analysis (PCA), the metabolites produced varied in different mixtures of pure cultures. S. fibuligera produced various enzymes, particularly α-amylase and glucoamylase, and exhibited a better performance compared with other species regarding the ability to convert starch to soluble sugars and positively affect the production process of volatile compounds. S. cerevisiae had a high fermentation capacity, thereby contributing to substrates utilization. Lactic acid bacteria had a good ability to produce lactic acid. This study attaches importance to the special functions of S. fibuligera, S. cerevisiae, and P. acidilactici in Chinese Baijiu making, and investigates their metabolic characteristics in the process of lab-scale semi-solid fermentation.

Baicalein improves glucose metabolism in insulin resistant HepG2 cells.

Insulin resistance (IR) is the primary pathogenesis of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, often used in the clinical treatment of T2DM. Baicalein which is considered to have anti-IR effects is one of its active ingredients. IR-induced HepG2 cells were used to investigate the effect of baicalein on glucose metabolism and insulin-signaling pathway, using metformin as a positive control. We found that the use of both baicalein and metformin increased the glucose consumption of IR cells, as well as increasing the pyruvate kinase (PK) and glucokinase (GCK) activity. Also increased was the expression levels of insulin receptor (InsR), insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (AKT) pathway and glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2). Reduced expression levels were found in that of glucose 6 phosphatase (G6Pase) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) mRNA. The results confirmed that baicalein (10-6 and 10-5 mol/L) promotes glucose uptake and glycolysis, inhibits gluconeogenesis of hepatocytes to improve glucose metabolism, and may be as a result from regulation of InsR/IRS-1/PI3K/AKT pathway. Additionally, baicalein has large concentration range on inhibiting IR, and at lower concentrations has strong anti-IR hepatocyte activity.

Iron Release from Soybean Seed Ferritin Induced by Cinnamic Acid Derivatives.

Plant ferritin represents a novel class of iron supplement, which widely co-exists with phenolic acids in a plant diet. However, there are few reports on the effect of these phenolic acids on function of ferritin. In this study, we demonstrated that cinnamic acid derivatives, as widely occurring phenolic acids, can induce iron release from holo soybean seed ferritin (SSF) in a structure-dependent manner. The ability of the iron release from SSF by five cinnamic acids follows the sequence of Cinnamic acid > Chlorogenic acid > Ferulic acid > p-Coumaric acid > Trans-Cinnamic acid. Fluorescence titration in conjunction with dialysis results showed that all of these five compounds have a similar, weak ability to bind with protein, suggesting that their protein-binding ability is not related to their iron release activity. In contrast, both Fe2+-chelating activity and reducibility of these cinnamic acid derivatives are in good agreement with their ability to induce iron release from ferritin. These studies indicate that cinnamic acid and its derivatives could have a negative effect on iron stability of holo soybean seed ferritin in diet, and the Fe2+-chelating activity and reducibility of cinnamic acid and its derivatives have strong relations to the iron release of soybean seed ferritin.

[Changes of HPAA in Different Rat Models of Gan Stagnation, Pi Deficiency, Gan Stagnation Pi Defi- ciency and Interventional Effect of Chaishu Sijun Decoction].

OBJECTIVE: To compare changes of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) in different rat models of Gan stagnation (GS), Pi deficiency (PD), Gan stagnation Pi deficiency (GSPD) syndromes, and to observe interventional effect of Chaishu Sijun Decoction (CSD, capable of soothing Gan-qi invigorating Pi) on them. METHODS: Seventy Wistar rats were divided into the normal control group (group 1), the GS group (group 2), the PD group (group 3), the GSPD group (group 4), the GS intervention group (group 5), the PD intervention group (group 6), and the GSPD intervention group (group 7) according to random digit table, 10 in each group. Rats in group 1 received no treatment. Rats in group 2 and 5 were modeled by chronic restraint method. Rats in group 3 and 6 were modeled by excess fatigue plus alimentary abstinence method. Rats in group 4 and 7 were modeled by chronic restraint, excess fatigue, and alimentary abstinence method. At the 2nd weekend of modeling, CSD at 2.86 g/kg was fed to rats in group 5, 6, and 7 by gastrogavage for 2 successive weeks. Equal volume of distilled water was given to rats in the rest 4 groups. On the 29th day, rats were killed, adrenal weight weighed, and adrenal index calculated. Levels of plasma and hypothalamus corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), plasma and pituitary adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), and plasma corticosterone (CORT) were determined using radioimmunity. RESULTS: Compared with group 1, adrenal index significantly decreased in group 2, 3, and 4 (P < 0.05). Of them, plasma and hypothalamus CRH, plasma CORT increased significantly in group 2 and 4 (P < 0.05). Besides, plasma and pituitary ACTH increased in group 4 (P < 0.05). Plasma and pituitary ACTH, as well as plasma CORT decreased significantly in group 3 (P < 0.05). Compared with group 2, 3, and 4, adrenal index increased significantly in group 5, 6, and 7 (P < 0.05). Compared with group 2, plasma CORT, hypothalamus CRH, and pituitary ACTH decreased significantly in group 5 (P < 0.05). Compared with group 3, plasma ACTH and CORT increased significantly in group 6 (P < 0.05). Compared with group 4, plasma CRH, ACTH, CORT, hypothalamus CRH, and pituitary ACTH decreased in group 7 (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The function of HPA .axis was damaged to varying degrees in rats of the three models in this experiment. Hyperactivity of HPA axis existed in GS syndrome and GSPD syndrome. Impairment of feedback regulation in hypothalamus and pituitary was accompanied in GSPD syndrome. Hypofunction of HPA axis existed in PDS. CSD, capable of soothing Gan-qi invigorating'Pi, showed improvement on disarranged HPAA, but with optimal effect on GSPD syndrome. CSD had higher correlation with GSPD syndrome.

Direct cloning, expression of a thermostable xylanase gene from the metagenomic DNA of cow dung compost and enzymatic production of xylooligosaccharides from corncob.

OBJECTIVES: To acquire a thermostable xylanase, that is suitable for xylooligosaccharide production from pretreated corncobs, the metagenomic method was used to obtain the gene from an uncultured environmental microorganism. RESULTS: A thermostable xylanase-encoding gene (xyn10CD18) was cloned directly from the metagenomic DNA of cow dung compost. When xyn10CD18 was expressed in Bacillus megaterium MS941, extracellular xylansae activity at 106 IU/ml was achieved. The purified recombinant Xyn10CD18 was optimally active at pH 7 and 75 °C as measured over 10 min. It retained over 55% of its initial activity at 70 °C and pH 7 after 24 h. Its action on birchwood xylan for 18 h liberated xylooligosaccharides with 2°-4° of polymerization, with xylobiose and xylotetraose as the main products. When pretreated corncobs were hydrolyzed by Xyn10CD18 for 18 h, the xylooligosaccharides (DP 2-4) products increased to 80% and the xylose was just increased by 3%. CONCLUSION: Xyn10CD18 is a thermostable endoxylanase and is a promising candidate for biomass conversion and xylooligosaccharide production.

Functional role of tlyC1 encoding a hemolysin-like protein from Bifidobacterium longum BBMN68 in bile tolerance.

Bifidobacteria are normal inhabitants of the human gut, and members of which are generally considered to be probiotic. Before exerting their beneficial properties, they must survive and persist in the physiological concentrations (0.05-2%) of bile in the gut. In this work, the functional role of tlyC1 encoding a hemolysin-like protein from Bifidobacterium longum BBMN68 in bile tolerance was tested. Analysis using the program TMHMM and homologous alignment indicated that TlyC1 is a nontransporter membrane protein and is conserved in many bifidobacteria. Heterologous expression of tlyC1 in Lactococcus lactis NZ9000 was shown to confer 45-fold higher tolerance to 0.15% ox-bile. Notably, the recombinant strains showed threefold higher survival when exposed to sublethal concentration of TCA and TDCA, while no significant change was observed when exposed to GCA and GDCA. Furthermore, real-time quantitative PCR demonstrated that the transcription of tlyC1 was up-regulated c. 2.5- and 2.7-fold in B. longum BBMN68 exposed to sublethal concentration of TCA and TDCA, while no significant change was observed with GCA and GDCA challenges. This study indicated that tlyC1 was specifically induced by tauroconjugates, which provided enhanced resistance to sodium taurocholate and sodium taurodeoxycholate.

Meta-analysis of the association between COL9A2 genetic polymorphisms and lumbar disc disease susceptibility.

STUDY DESIGN: Meta-analysis to collect all the relevant studies to date to further investigate whether or not the COL9A2 gene rs12077871, rs12722877, and rs7533552 polymorphism are associated with susceptibility to lumbar disc disease (LDD). OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the association between the COL9A2 gene rs12077871, rs12722877, and rs7533552 and LDD. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: LDD is a common musculoskeletal disease with strong genetic determinants. COL9A2 encodes the α2 (IX) chain of type IX collagen, which is the major collagen component of the hyaline cartilage. Growing numbers of studies have revealed the association between COL9A2 polymorphisms and susceptibility to LDD. However, those studies have yielded contradictory results. METHODS: Data were collected from the following electronic databases: PubMed, Web of Knowledge, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure, with the last report up to November 30, 2013. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to assess the strength of association under the allelic genetic model. We summarized the data on the association between COL9A2 rs12077871, rs12722877, and rs7533552 polymorphism and LDD in the overall studies. RESULTS: Nine case-control studies, including 1522 LDD cases and 1646 controls, were identified. The results indicated that the rs12077871, rs12722877, and rs7533552 variants in COL9A2 were not associated with LDD (rs12077871: C vs. T, OR = 0.541, 95% CI = 0.256-1.147, P = 0.109; rs12722877: C vs. G, OR = 1.199, 95% CI = 0.992-1.448, P = 0.06; rs7533552: A vs. G, OR = 0.993, 95% CI = 0.815-1.069, P = 0.320). Furthermore, the Egger test and the Begg funnel plot did not show any evidence of publication bias. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the COL9A2 rs12077871, rs12722877, and rs7533552 polymorphisms may not be associated with LDD. More studies based on larger sample sizes and homogeneous samples of patients with LDD are needed to confirm these findings. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2.